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A Roaring Tribute

Survivor Built Happy Life

from Jaworzno, Poland, to Dachau in
Germany. He was one of 200-300 to sur-
vive the 2 1/2-month winter march. He
estimated he weighed 80 pounds when he
he horrors of the Holocaust
arrived at Dachau.
were burned into David
In 1980 and again in 1986, the
Burdowski's memory, and into
German government asked Mr. Burdowski
his arm.
to testify against concentration camp
But he would not allow his horrible
guards. Asked in one court how he could
experiences and the deaths of his parents,
identify a brutal guard after 35 years, Mr.
four brothers and
Burdowski said, "You
rwo sisters at the
would remember too
hands of the Nazis
if someone held a gun
change who he was.
to your head."
"That he was a
After a 13-year, $3
survivor is not the
million trial, the
full story," said
guard was given a life
Rabbi Paul Yedwab
sentence for killing
of Temple Israel at
eight Jews. Mr.
Mr. Burdowski's
Burdowski and nearly
funeral June 4.
100 other witnesses
"After surviving, he
testified that Horst
flourished. He never
Czerwinski had tor-
forgot, but he was
mented and killed at
never bitter."
least one Jew each day
He met and
during the year they
married his beloved
were at the sub-camp
David Burdowski cutting a customer's of Auschwitz.
Regina in the dis-
placed persons
hair.
Margie Burdowski
camps after the war.
said her husband's
She insisted that
biggest enjoyment was
they leave Germany to start a new life.
sharing his experience with school groups
The Burdowskis came to Flint, with
at the Holocaust Memorial Center. He
David opening a shop with another bar-
was also a member of Albert Einstein
ber who worked with him in the concen-
Lodge of B'nai B'rith and the Shaarit
tration camps.
Haplaytah survivors' organization.
They later moved to the Detroit area
Mr. Burdowski, 74, of West
and shared the Country Corner Barber
Bloomfield, died June 2. He is survived
Shop on Southfield Road at 13 Mile for
by his wife, Margie; daughters and sons-
more than two decades.
in-law Sara and Cary Goldberg of
Regina died in 1983 and Mr.
Commerce Township, Helen and Paul
Burdowski later married Margie
Levine of Farmington Hills, Michele and
Rosenfeld, also a Holocaust survivor, who
Jeffrey Prince of Santa Monica, Calif.,
became the central focus of his life.
Charyl Apple of Farmington Hills; son
Most importantly, said Rabbi Yedwab,
and daughter-in-law Mark and Lori
Mr. Burdowski created new life. "He was
Rosenfeld of Farmington Hills; grandchil-
a strong, funny, loving, giving, inspiring"
dren Michael and Dawn Goldberg, Jeffrey
father and grandfather. As a barber, he
Goldberg, Shayna Levine, Joey Levine,
was more a "poor man's psychologist."
Leigh Apple, Josh Apple, Jeffrey
Even after he fully retired, he continued
Rosenfeld, Amy Rosenfeld; great-grand-
to give haircuts to favorite customers in
son Jordyn.
the basement of his home so that he
Mr. Burdowski was the beloved hus-
could continue to visit with them.
band of the late Regina Burdowski and
"He was gracious, gentle and kind,"
loving grandfather of the late Samuel
said Rabbi Yedwab, "and he doted on his
Todd Levine.
grandchildren. He taught them to count
Contributions may be made to
in Yiddish and, when they were a little
Hospice of Michigan, 16250 Northland
older, to curse in Yiddish."
Dr., Suite 212, Southfield, MI 48075;
Mr. Burdowski credited his Holocaust
Holocaust Memorial Center, 6602 W
survival to a doctor he encountered dur-
Maple Road, West Bloomfield, MI
ing the war and also the Polish camp offi-
48322; or the Samuel Todd Levine Baby
cial, who gave him a job as a barber and
Book Fund at Temple Israel, 5725 Walnut
protected him. He cut hair in the labor
Lake Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48322.
and death camps for four of the six years
Services and arrangements by Hebrew
he was a prisoner of the Nazis.
Memorial Chapel. Interment at Beth
In January 1945, Mr. Burdowski was
Moses Cemetery. Fl
among 7,000 Jews marched by the Nazis

ALAN HITSKY
Associate Editor

T

6 / 1 1
1999

150 Detroit Jewish News

DAVID SACHS
Editorial Assistant

I

t was amazing to see all those 'Hogs'
pull into Machpelah Cemetery," said
funeral director Jonathan Dorfman.
It was definitely noisy."
It was not the
typical funeral.
-
But Terry Kuzin
was not the typi-
cal guy.
On Sunday,
some 150 Hogs
(the nickname for
Harley-Davidson
motorcycles) rode
in tribute in a 12-
mile procession
Terry Kuzin
from Beau Jack's
Restaurant at
Maple Road and Telegraph to the ceme-
tery on Woodward in Ferndale. Each Hog
was driven by a friend, friends of every
walk of life who shared Terry Kuzin's love
of motorcycles and of life.
"Terry was always there for everyone,"
said his companion of 12 years, Cathy
Goodman. "Now they came out for him."
Terry Kuzin, 52, of Bloomfield Hills,
owner of Mobile Power Technology in
Novi, died June 2. He was a frequent con-
tributor to children's charities, including
the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
"People called him 'the mayor' because
he knew everybody," said Goodman.
Rabbi Harold S. Loss of Temple Israel,
who officiated at the funeral, recalled, "He
was someone who found a way to connect
with people. He called everybody every
day. When friends were informed of his
fatal heart attack, they would say, 'But I
just talked to him yesterday.'"
Three State Police motorcycles led the

VILMA BRAGMAN, 93, of Dallas, died

June 5.
Mrs. Bragman is survived by her son and
daughter-in-law, Sanford and Suzanne
Bragman and grandchildren Aaron and
Lindsay Bragman.
She was the beloved wife of the late
Benjamin Bragman.
Interment at Workmen's Circle
Cemetery. Contributions may be made to
the American Heart Association.
Arrangements by the Ira Kaufman Chapel.

BETTY BRECHNER, 87, of Southfield,

died June 5. Mrs. Brechner was an insurance
underwriter and a member of Northwest
Child Rescue Women.
She is survived by her sisters and brother-
in-law, Yetta and David Rothenberg of Oak
Park, Shirley Harris of Oak Park, Helen

Cathy Goodman begins the Harley-
Davidson proCession to the cemetery

procession, followed by Goodman flanked
by friends Gary Cochran, owner of Beau
Jack's, and Richard Golden, president of
D.O.0 optical. "Terry would have had a
smile from ear to ear to see all these
Harleys pull into the cemetery," said
Golden.
At the cemetery chapel service,
Goodman's 15-year-old son Richard, who
enjoyed spending time with Mr. Kuzin,
read a tribute poem written by his mother.
He also read a poem written by his
father, Arnie Goodman, who praised
Mr.- Kuzin for embracing his son as his
own. "Terry wanted to have a good rela-
tionship with my son's father," said
Cathy Goodman, who is divorced from
Arnie Goodman.
In addition to Cathy and Richard
Goodman, Mr. Kuzin is survived by his
mother, Anita Kuzin of Bloomfield Hills;
brother Arthur Kuzin of Bloomfield
Hills; sister Judy Kuzin of Bloomfield
Hills; nieces Abby and Heather.
He was the beloved son of the late
Louis Kuzin.
Contributions may be made to any
charity that benefits children or to the
charity of one's choice. PI

Cohn of Southfield, Rose Cohn of
Southfield, Deana Cohn of Southfield;
brother and sister-i-m-law Jack and Emily
Cohn.
Mrs. Brechner was the beloved wife of
the late Max Brechner and the dear sister of
the late Evelyn Berkley. Interment at Beth
Abraham Cemetery. Contributions may be
made to Northwest Child Rescue.
Arrangements by the Ira Kaufman Chapel.

SEYMOUR M. BURG, 57, of Pompano

Beach, Fla., formerly of Detroit, died June 5.
He is survived by his daughters and son-
in-law, Beth and Alan Silverberg of Tampa,
Fla., Angela Burg of West Bloomfield,
Candice Burg of West Bloomfield; sisters
and brothers-in-law Elaine and Norman
Hearshen of Southfield, Carol and Steve
Davidson of Chicago; former wife Arlene ,